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Progress achieved in resolving Karabakh conflict: US official

Progress achieved in resolving Karabakh conflict: US official

13-10-2018

Progress has been achieved in the process of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent said at a press conference in Baku Oct. 10.

"In Azerbaijan, everyone is interested in a peaceful settlement of the conflict. During our visit to the country, we stressed the recent progress in resolving the conflict, including the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in New York, as well as the meeting of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Dushanbe," he said.

Kent noted that as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the United States takes seriously its obligations to resolve the conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will make a visit to the region this month, in two weeks. I want to note that tension on the contact line of troops has decreased. We urge the parties to continue in this spirit," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.